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P U B L I S H E D BY T H E A M E R I CA N F O R E I G N S E R V I C E A S S O C I AT I O N MARCH 2020
DEALING WITH
RUSSIA AND UKRAINE
INTEGRITY FIRST
POWER AFRICA:
REDEFINING DEVELOPMENT
FOREIGN
SERVICE March 2020 Volume 97, No. 2
Focus on Dealing with
Russia and Ukraine
Features
45
Energy Diplomacy
Works: How Power Africa
Redefines Development
Partnerships
An ambitious USAID initiative
to bring the U.S. government’s
resources to bear in Africa is
producing results, offering a new
model for development assistance.
By Andrew M. Herscowitz
22
Reflections on Russia,
Ukraine and the U.S.
in the Post-Soviet World
The struggle between Russia and
Ukraine, in which the United States
has been involved for three decades,
reflects the challenges of the continuing 39
post-Soviet transformation. When Lightning
B y J o h n F. Te f f t Struck Twice: Drawing
Down Mission Russia
35 Moscow assignments were never easy,
but the dramatic ordered reductions
The World Through of diplomatic staff in 2017 and 2018 50
Moscow’s Eyes: A Classic were distinctly difficult.
Russian Perspective By Michael A. Lally Superpowered
To fathom the Ukraine dispute, Public Diplomacy
a Russian scholar and head of the
Carnegie Moscow Center shares
42 Updating the PD toolbox
with popular arts.
what he thinks U.S. diplomats need Soviet Union, Russia By Preeti Shah
to know about Russia. and Ukraine—
B y D m i t r i Tr e n i n From the FSJ Archive
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2020 5
FOREIGN
SERVICE
Perspectives
Departments
7 19 10 Letters
President’s Views Speaking Out
The Foreign Service Act at 40 Integrity First 14 Talking Points
By Eric Rubin By Alan L arson
71 In Memory
9 85 76 Books
Letter from the Editor Reflections
Going Through Things Sprint Training for
By Shawn Dorman Distance Runners
By Katie Mastin
Marketplace
12
Message from the Hill 86 80 Real Estate
We Need to Upgrade Our Local Lens
Diplomatic Capabilities Cúcuta, Colombia 82 Classifieds
By Representative By Keith Mines
Brian Jeffer y Mast 84 Index to Advertisers
AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION
53 Honoring Early Diplomats and Consular Officers 60 2017-2019
54 State VP Voice—Being Treated More Like
Our Military
AFSA Governing Board
Term Report
53
55 USAID VP Voice—The FSA: It’s More 66 2019 AFSA Treasurer’s
Than Just an Act Report
56 Retiree VP Voice—Powerful Tools to 68 Congress Passes 2020
Defend the Foreign Service Appropriations Package,
Including 2.6 Percent Pay
56 Congress Approves Paid Parental Leave
Increase
for Federal Employees
68 Hatch Act: What Every
57 Support AFSA’s Legal Defense Fund
Employee Needs to Know
57 A Letter to AFSA
69 Updates to the 2019
58 Guidance on the Use of Diplomatic Passports AFSA Tax Guide
59 AFSA President Addresses Citizen Groups 70 Remembering Anthony Bishop,
in Florida AFGE State Vice President
On the Cover—“Empire Half-Light”(2016), by artist and former FSO Rosemarie Forsythe. Her style mixes matte gem tones with metallics
to achieve a look reminiscent of Byzantine icons or 15th-century illuminated manuscripts. For this first piece in her “Empire Twilight” series,
she incorporated her declassified reporting cables from 1989-1991 Embassy Moscow. This piece was shown at AFSA’s first FS Artists Show-
case Feb. 6 and is now owned by fellow Soviet/Russia specialist Anita Friedt. Both worked with Ambassador (ret.) John Tefft.
6 MARCH 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL
PRESIDENT’S VIEWS
The Foreign Service Act at 40
BY ERIC RUBIN
T
his year marks the 40th anniver- “operated on the basis of merit principles.” tem—expansion of the leave without pay
sary of the Foreign Service Act The act covered seven agencies (two option is one example.
of 1980, the defining legislative of which no longer exist), created the We need to focus on recruitment and
foundation of our institution and Senior Foreign Service, reduced the retention, and consider changes to help
a critical element of our country’s foreign number of FS personnel categories, make the Service more responsive to a
policy structure. As Harry Kopp writes established a single FS pay schedule, 2020 workforce that has different needs
in his superb history of AFSA (www.afsa. added new benefits and allowances, and expectations than the 1980s workforce
org/voice), members of both houses of authorized a Foreign Service union and did. This includes making the Service more
Congress from both sides of the aisle took set parameters for a grievance system. reflective of the rich diversity of America.
seriously the task of modernizing the For- It also strengthened congressional Looking back with the help of the
eign Service and making it more efficient, oversight by requiring regular reports from Kopp book and Foreign Service Journal
effective and useful. the Department of State on affirmative archives, it is important to remember
One thing is clear from the delibera- action, professional development, work- that 1980 was less than a decade after the
tions that led to the final 1980 Act: there force planning, language skills, ambas- end of “two for one” rules mandating the
was nearly universal consensus that the sadorial nominations, operations of the rating of wives on their husbands’ EERs,
Foreign Service needs to be at the center inspector general and other matters. and also the rule forcing female FSOs to
of the U.S. foreign policy process. It was So where are we today? We face two resign if they married.
widely accepted that good policy could critical tasks. Most urgent is getting the We’re in a different era, and we need
not be made without professional exper- career Foreign Service back to the center to engage with members of Congress
tise and advice. of the foreign-policy-making process as and congressional staff to ensure the
It was also generally agreed that politi- intended by the act. Today, our senior core elements of the Foreign Service Act
cal appointee ambassadors need to be political leaders have almost no contact are protected and reinforced, while at
qualified, and their numbers should be with senior career FSOs. We have only one the same time being prepared to inno-
kept to a minimum. All of these concepts career FSO serving as an under secretary, vate and modernize. While we work to
were laid out clearly in the final legislation. and none serving as a Senate-confirmed protect the Foreign Service and to defend
The 1980 Act states: “A career foreign assistant secretary. our colleagues who were drawn into the
service, characterized by excellence Many of the deputy assistant secretary impeachment battle as fact witnesses, we
and professionalism, is essential in the positions are still occupied by FSOs in an need to keep a strategic focus as well.
national interest to assist the President “acting” capacity, more than three years AFSA would be grateful for your
and the Secretary of State in conducting into the Trump administration. We are thoughts on what is working and not
the foreign affairs of the United States.” also witnessing the departure of most working in today’s Foreign Service, and
It continues: “The career detailees from the National Security what changes you might like to see.
members of the For- Council. The interagency process has Please send your input to our new email
eign Service should been diminished. address—ideas@afsa.org—and let us
be representative The second urgent task is to mod- know whether or not your comments can
of the American ernize our Service. I applaud the pilot be shared with attribution as part of an
people,” and the For- programs underway in several agencies FSJ compilation. I look forward to hearing
eign Service shall be to inject more flexibility into the sys- from you. n
Ambassador Eric Rubin is the president of the American Foreign Service Association.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2020 7
FOREIGN
CONTACTS
SERVICE
www.afsa.org
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Senior Editor
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Hon. Robert M. Beecroft Treasurer Aleksandar “Pav” Pavlovich:
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PROFESSIONALS State Representatives Theo Horn: horn@afsa.org
The Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543),
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2101 E Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is
published monthly, with combined January-February Matthew Dolbow Nadja Ruzica: ruzica@afsa.org
and July-August issues, by the American Foreign Service Holly Kirking Loomis
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writers and does not necessarily represent the views of Tamir Waser Director, Programs and Member Engagement
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8 MARCH 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Going Through Things
B Y S H AW N D O R M A N
“S
he’s going to go through coup to get John Tefft—who has served from Comic-Con on how the public diplo-
some things,” said the presi- as ambassador to both countries (and macy toolbox has been expanded; and
dent in his perfect call with Georgia and Lithuania)—to write the lead retired FSO Alan Larson speaks out on the
Ukrainian President Volody- article. This is must-reading for anyone value of integrity in foreign policy.
myr Zelensky last July. Ambassador Marie who wants to know why we should care Finally, as we close out the FSJ ’s
Yovanovitch went through some things— about Ukraine, and Russia. centennial year with this edition, I am
as she did her job, served her country and Carnegie Moscow Center Director Dmi- pleased to report that the state of the
spoke the truth. tri Trenin presents “The World Through Journal is strong. We count on our readers
As the impeachment trial came to a Moscow’s Eyes.” Understanding where our to share their views and experiences
quick end, the three-time ambassador adversaries (and friends) are coming from for these pages. Let us hear from you
retired. But while the Service lost another is part of what makes diplomacy work. (journal@afsa.org). And please take the
outstanding senior diplomat, it also FSO Michael Lally reminds us how the AFSA president up on his request for
gained a hero; the impeachment process challenges in the U.S.-Russia relationship input (to ideas@afsa.org).
brought to light—for those paying any in recent years have affected the lives of And speaking of going through some
attention at all—the integrity and dedica- U.S. Mission Russia staff. We also include a things, during a recent cleanup at AFSA
tion of career diplomats on the front lines selection of excerpts from the FSJ Archive, we discovered a 1994 letter from George
implementing official U.S. policy and the merest hint of the archive’s tremen- Kennan for the Journal’s 75th anniversary.
advancing relationships around the world. dous resources on Russia and Ukraine. As the FSJ enters its second century, his
At AFSA and through the Journal, Elsewhere, FSO Preeti Shah reports words still resonate. n
we will continue supporting the Foreign
Service as it goes through things, facing
new challenges. We will continue pointing March 28, 1994
The American Foreign Service, in its chartered
to the critical importance of professional (but not always respected) capacity
as a highly selected, non-political, and disciplined
diplomacy for national security and telling body of career officials trained for
the representation of this country through its
embassies and consular offices abroad,
the story of the U.S. Foreign Service, both has never fitted easily into the American govern
mental establishment. Seldom have its
for our members and the public, and for nature, its functions, and its needs been under
stood either by the general public or by the
the historical record. press or even by those who were responsible for
its financial support and administration
at the Washington end.
One great story is that of the Power
The service has always had something of a dual
Africa program, the first “Energy Diplo- identity, trying on the one hand to
represent this country abroad … , but trying at
the same time to accommodate itself to
macy Works” contribution to our ongoing the demands being brought to bear upon it from
a Washington which would never fully
Diplomacy Works series. In this issue, understand what it was, why it existed, and what
it was doing.
USAID FSO Andrew Herscowitz explains No institution connected with the Foreign Servic
e can have found itself more in the
how this program is redefining develop- center of these conflicting pressures than the
organ which, for some 75 years, has tried
to shape and maintain the Service’s own sense
ment partnerships. of identity and yet to help it to meet the
demands placed upon it by both the political
For our focus on and the bureaucratic establishments at
home: namely, The Foreign Service Journal. …
dealing with Russia This must never have been an entirely easy task;
but the Journal has pursued it all
and Ukraine, it was a these years with devotion and persistence. …
I am glad to wish it many more years of use-
ful service to a cause which is none the less valuab
le for being so rarely understood.
Very sincerely,
Shawn Dorman is the
George Kennan
editor of The Foreign
Service Journal.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2020 9
LETTERS
The Promise of The Mighty 102nd because she was born in Arlington and
Independence I was glad to see AFSA State VP Tom had always lived around families from
The conversation with Yazdgerdi’s column in the December FSJ the state.
Ambassador Hank Cohen in on understanding why peo- She enrolled in a Virginia university,
the December 2019 FSJ was ple leave the Foreign Service. but we only had funds for her to attend
an extraordinary article in It’s an important issue, and two years as a nonresident. When her
an equally extraordinary I’m sure we all look forward residency appeal was ultimately denied,
issue. Students of diplo- to getting past anecdotal she withdrew from the university after
macy and the Foreign Ser- reports and learning what les- her second year.
vice will benefit immensely sons we may be able to draw Hope reemerged, however, with the
from it. Congratulations from a fuller picture. AFSA announcement. In September,
to the Journal and Amb. I do want to take issue, I moved to Virginia to begin language
Cohen. however, with Mr. Yazdgerdi’s training at FSI for an onward assign-
In my 20-odd years as assertion that the 200th A-100 ment to Mozambique, and my daughter
an LS [Language Services] contractor, class was the first to have applied to James Madison University as
I heard the same about Africa’s lack of women outnumber men. Our small but a transfer student.
postcolonial progress as the ambas- mighty 102nd brought 23 women and I was apprehensive, knowing no
sador revealed in the interview. When I nine men into the Foreign Service in guidance had been issued on how to
interpreted at a Young African Leaders April 2001. implement the new law. The JMU Resi-
Conference at State some 10 years ago, Matt O’Connor dency Committee Members and both
at one point all the individuals who FSO the dean and associate dean of admis-
ventured opinions on their governments Kaohsiung, Taiwan sions worked with us, however, quickly
were uniformly critical. reviewing documentation they needed
Little wonder, then, that in recent An In-State College related to lodging and my onward
years desperate thousands of Africans Tuition Win assignment.
have tried to enter Europe as putative July 18, 2019, was a special day And now my daughter is officially a
asylum-seekers, many losing their lives when—thanks to Delegate Paul Krizek, Duke and attending JMU! The battle for
at sea, while others try to cross our bor- who represents the 44th District in the Virginia residency is over, and because
der from Mexico. Virginia General Assembly’s House of of this new law, my daughter will stay in
Thus, the promise of independence Delegates—AFSA announced the new Virginia where she feels she belongs.
for many Africans remains that. Let’s law allowing Foreign Service members Sincere thanks to all.
hope Amb. Cohen’s calling attention and their dependents to meet less strin- Melissa Knight
to the sad situation will cause political gent requirements to receive in-state USAID FSO
leaders and elites to do something, at tuition in Virginia. U.S. Embassy Maputo
last, for their own peoples. Everyone Under the new law, FS families will
would stand to benefit—even they be required to reside in Virginia for no On Afghanistan and the
would, of course. more than 90 days immediately prior to Growing Iranian Disaster
Finally, the ambassador touched on receiving a diplomatic assignment for Let’s start with a brief consideration
Africa and climate change. I hope he will continued work overseas. of a few of our own major political
expand on his view in the regional con- As an FS child, my daughter went to adjustments. The Declaration of Inde-
text. His other ideas and observations five international schools, ultimately pendence, in 1776, bluntly states “all
are so sound that more on these topics graduating in South Africa. I wanted her men are created equal,” except for those
would be most welcome. to be able to choose her college. She men over there. Lincoln’s Emancipation
Louis V. Riggio didn’t want to study at the University of Proclamation, in 1863, abolished slav-
Former FSO and LS Contractor Florida, where I had graduated. ery, but only in the Confederate states,
Hollywood, Florida She wanted to study in Virginia where it had no effect.
10 MARCH 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALThe 13th Amendment abolished any measure, especially in the years businessmen and prepared 15,582
slavery in the United States in 1865, and since his exemplary service there. reports on all phases of trade expan-
the Civil Rights Act enforcing it, with The Jan. 3 assassination of Qasem sion, which were forwarded to the
considerable difficulty, was passed a Soleimani will clearly add immensely Department of Commerce for dissemi-
mere 99 years later, in 1964. to the serious dangers we have created nation to businessmen.
The 17th Amendment, in 1913, there, and throughout the Muddle (sic) “An average of 150 trade opportuni-
changed election of U.S. senators to a East. ties were reported each month, and
vote by the citizens, not just members Edward Peck during the period January 1-October
of the state legislatures. Ambassador, retired 20, 1921, a total of 15,270 reports were
Women got the vote in the Chevy Chase, Maryland supplied on foreign firms for the World
19th Amendment, in 1920. Trade Directory Service at the Depart-
Each action faced opposition, Consular Service ment of Commerce.
and some generated unrest. Promoting Trade “In addition consuls employed their
If a functioning democracy I enjoyed Jay Car- good offices to settle trade differences
took this long to adopt basic, reiro’s AFSA VP Voice between American and foreign firms,
significant efforts to improve the column on the Com- thus contributing materially to the
operations of the government mercial Service in the maintenance of the prestige of Ameri-
and the lives of its citizens, what November 2019 FSJ. can businesses abroad” (p. 197).
can realistically be expected in In addition to the While this function is no longer the
Afghanistan, which appears to be work of trade commissioners sent by responsibility of consular officers, it
struggling into the 18th century? the Department of Commerce, I think it speaks to the enduring close relation-
And consider this: By definition, you is important to note the historical role ship between State and Commerce in
cannot impose democracy. That’s an of the Consular Service in trade promo- furthering U.S. and foreign trade.
oxymoron, two contradictory state- tion. In the past, consuls generated Stuart Denyer
ments in one sentence: “You cannot reports on all manner of trade issues of Consul
force people to make a free choice. interest to U.S. businesses. U.S. Embassy Ljubljana n
OK, Afghans, here comes a weekend; These reports—whether on the cur-
become a democracy now!” rent price of grain in the country, the
I had the pleasure of working with prevailing wages or the export oppor-
Ambassador Ryan Crocker in Bagh- tunities for a particular American prod-
dad. He later served as ambassador in uct—proved so popular with American
Afghanistan, and his opinion piece in The businessmen that the Department of
Washington Post on Dec. 13, 2019, clearly State changed their publication from
displayed his intelligence, knowledge annual to monthly in 1880.
and understanding of the massive, exten- This work greatly expanded in the
sive, entrenched obstacles the United 20th century. According to The Foreign Share your
States and its allies face there. Service of the United States, a history
They have been multiplied by our book published by the State Depart- thoughts about
own mistakes and miscalculations, ment’s Bureau of Public Affairs in 1961: this month’s issue.
which have made it vastly more difficult “The efforts of American business to
to accomplish a logically impossible expand export markets after the war
task, especially in a short time. [World War I] were strongly supported Submit letters
Sadly, I am obliged to agree with part by the trade promotion activities of to the editor:
of the title of his essay, that Afghanistan consular officers.
“is not another Vietnam.” It certainly “In the fiscal year of 1921 consuls
journal@afsa.org
isn’t, and has infinitely worsened, by answered 82,237 trade inquiries from
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2020 11MESSAGE FROM THE HILL
We Need to Upgrade Our
Diplomatic Capabilities
B Y R E P R E S E N TAT I V E B R I A N J E F F E R Y M A S T
T
he most important and I believe the documented deficit in overseas
rewarding time of my life
core diplomacy positions is a serious problem
was the 12 years I spent in
the U.S. Army. I became a
that needs to be addressed to ensure that
bomb technician because I America’s commercial, economic and political
wanted to save lives and serve a cause standing in the world does not atrophy or
greater than myself. I nearly gave my give way to rising near-peer competitors.
own life for that—I lost both my legs
and a finger when a roadside bomb det-
onated beneath me—and have known
more heroes than I can count who died
defending others. support them fully to match our adver- complements of U.S. diplomats are staff-
The selfless commitment of my saries around the world. ing country teams, deployed around the
brothers and sisters in arms, both on In particular, we need to address the world promoting U.S interests. I believe
and off the battlefield, makes me truly documented shortage in core diplo- the documented deficit in overseas core
believe that it takes a special kind of macy positions overseas. To this end, I diplomacy positions is a serious problem
person to dedicate their life to serving have strongly urged the House Appro- that needs to be addressed to ensure that
our country. priations Subcommittee on State and America’s commercial, economic and
Members of the U.S. Foreign Service Foreign Operations to encourage the political standing in the world does not
make this commitment each and every State Department to create and fill new atrophy or give way to rising near-peer
day to spread the values of freedom, Foreign Service positions at overseas competitors.
democracy and liberty around the posts. That’s why it was so important to get
globe. In my letter to the State Department, this language included in the appropri-
In the current environment of I specifically encouraged the agency to ations package that passed the House
great power competition and rivalry, expand mid-level FSO positions—grades on Dec. 17, 2019, and was signed into
I strongly believe that we need to FS-3, FS-2 and FS-1—at overseas posts. law by President Donald Trump three
upgrade our diplomatic capabilities and Our goal must be to ensure that full days later.
Representative Brian Jeffery Mast (R-Fla.) represents Florida’s 18th district. He serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and on the House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he served in the U.S. Army from 2000 to 2012.
12 MARCH 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALUnfortunately, we are also all too
familiar with just how often artifi-
cial barriers or needless government
bureaucracy gets in the way of those
who want to serve. For example, Foreign
Service officers are currently forced to
take home leave on returning to the
United States between assignments
and often find themselves without any
means of housing. This is simply unac-
ceptable, especially when anyone who
is serving or has served in the military
can tell you we have hotels and vaca-
tion rental homes on bases across the
nation.
That’s why I introduced legislation
to expand military housing benefits to
Foreign Service officers who temporar-
ily lose their housing allowance while
on mandatory home leave status. This
bill would allow Foreign Service officers
to rent a place to stay during that short
transition period before or after over-
seas deployment.
The good news is that this bill was
included in the National Defense
Authorization Act for 2020, which
passed the House of Representatives on
Dec. 11 and was signed into law on Dec.
20, 2019.
The bottom line is that we must
continue working hard to ensure the
safety and security of the United States
through strong diplomacy, robust fund-
ing for our military, unwavering support
for our allies, and development of a
comprehensive national security strat-
egy founded on the idea that the world
is safest when America is strongest.
Thank you for all you do to promote
peace and democracy around the globe.
Your commitment to service before self
continues to inspire me, and I look for-
ward to working with you in the future
to preserve our nation’s security for
generations to come. n
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2020 13TALKING POINTS
600 codels a year, the State Senate Confirms
Department puts in a ton Biegun as State #2
of work figuring out how
to interact with lawmakers
effectively, Ms. Degarmo said.
T he Senate voted 90-3 on Dec. 19 to
confirm Stephen Biegun, President
Trump’s former North Korea envoy, as
Now, at the press of a Deputy Secretary of State. Secretary of
button, staff can get all the State Mike Pompeo swore in Mr. Biegun
pertinent information about on Dec. 21.
any member of Congress, Before taking on the role of envoy
using 40 different data sets. to North Korea, Mr. Biegun was vice
The dashboard features president of international government
headers such as Sponsored relations for Ford Motor Company.
Legislation, State Depart- He served
ment Engagement, Home as executive
State Profile, Potential Topics secretary of
of Interest, CODEL Travel the National
History and International Security Council
Exchange Programs in the from 2001 to
Data for Diplomacy lawmaker’s state. 2003. In that
B efore a standing-room-only crowd
on Jan. 16 in Main State’s Burns
Auditorium, officials shared their plans
The Global Presence Navigator,
another project under development,
will enable a global look at the State
role, he was
a senior staff
member for
Stephen Biegun.
to bring the department’s data analytics Department’s presence in countries National
into the 21st century. around the globe—personnel, facili- Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.
We are at a critical inflection point at ties, spending, assistance program- Before that, he spent 14 years as a
the State Department on data analyt- ming and more. “We can look at our foreign policy adviser to members of the
ics,” Under Secretary for Management footprint globally, regionally, and down House and Senate. Mr. Biegun is a gradu-
Brian Bulatao told the crowd. “This is a to the post level,” Degarmo said. “We ate of the University of Michigan.
generational shift.” are beginning to overlay indicators of
“We created the Center for Analyt- strategic importance, as well.” Pompeo Berates
ics to infuse a culture of data into our The Center for Analytics has also Reporter over Ukraine
thinking at State,” Jim Schwab, the developed a Chinese Activities Platform Questions
director of the Office of Management
Strategy and Solutions (MSS), said.
“Data analytics is everywhere in society,
on Classnet that can help the U.S. gov-
ernment track Beijing.
“There is great value in leveraging
S ecretary of State Mike Pompeo
lashed out at NPR reporter Mary
Louise Kelly after an interview, appar-
and we are starting to use it in many data as a strategic asset,” Mr. Bulatao ently angered by her questions about
areas at State.” said. “It is imperative that we have the the Trump administration’s removal of
Janice Degarmo, the deputy director most informed employees who are able Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch from
of MSS and acting chief data officer at to understand analytics faster than our Ukraine and whether he owed Amb.
the Center for Analytics, shared several adversaries.” Yovanovitch an apology for not defend-
examples of new data analytics projects The Foreign Service Institute is now ing her publicly.
already in action or in development. offering courses on data analytics, he “I’ve defended every single person on
One is a dashboard called Con- added. FSI trained 700 people in data this team,” Secretary Pompeo said in the
gressional Insights that helps prepare analytics in 2019, he said, “and we think interview, recorded on Jan. 24.
embassy staffers for upcoming visits it will double over the next couple of Pressed by Ms. Kelly on whether he
by congressional delegations. With years.” could point to specific remarks in which
14 MARCH 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALSecretary Pompeo has had run-ins
Contemporary Quote with other reporters. In October, he told
Nashville TV reporter Nancy Amons that
As America is currently rethinking its relation to the world, I have a it “sounds like you’re working, at least in
simple message: America is needed. America is needed in the Sahel. part, for the Democratic National Com-
America is needed in the Near East. And alliances are to be treasured: mittee,” after she questioned him about
not as burdensome relics, or as commercial endeavors; but as a web the Trump administration’s decision to
of bonds, of values, of influence, whose collective value far exceeds withhold aid from Ukraine. He made
that of each part. similar comments to PBS news host Judy
—French Defense Minister Florence Parly, Woodruff in October, as well.
in a speech at the Harvard Kennedy School, Jan. 28.
Experts Featured
on Commission on
Unalienable Rights Panel
he had defended Amb. Yovanovitch,
Secretary Pompeo responded: “I’ve said
all I’m going to say today.”
is shameful that this reporter chose to
violate the basic rules of journalism and
decency.
T he State Department’s Commission
on Unalienable Rights—charged by
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to offer
Ms. Kelly later reported that shortly “This is another example of how him advice about the role human rights
after the interview, “the same staffer unhinged the media has become in its should play in foreign policy—has invited
who had stopped the interview reap- quest to hurt President Trump and this a series of constitutional and human
peared, asked me to come with her— Administration. It is no wonder that the rights experts to speak before it over the
just me, no recorder, though she did not American people distrust many in the past few months.
say we were off the record, nor would media when they so consistently demon- On Jan. 10, two human rights
I have agreed. strate their agenda and their absence of experts—sometimes critical of the Trump
“I was taken to the Secretary’s private integrity. administration’s human rights record—
living room where he was waiting and “It is worth noting that Bangladesh is addressed the commission: Kenneth
where he shouted at me for about the NOT Ukraine.” Roth, executive director of Human Rights
same amount of time as the interview The Washington Post reported on Jan. Watch, and Diane Orentlicher, professor
itself. He was not happy to have been 26 that it had obtained emails indicating of international law at American Univer-
questioned about Ukraine. He asked, that the Secretary’s staff was aware that sity’s Washington College of Law.
‘Do you think Americans care about Ms. Kelly would ask the Secretary about Mr. Roth told the panel that it is dif-
Ukraine?’ He used the F-word in that several topics and raised no objections. ficult for the United States to have moral
sentence and many others. On Jan. 27, USA Today and other authority on human rights when the
“He asked if I could find Ukraine on media outlets reported that the State president supports autocrats, or when
a map. I said yes, and he called out for Department had blocked NPR diplomatic families are separated at the border, or
aides to bring us a map of the world with reporter Michele Kelemen from the Sec- when the CIA tortures people. “Countries
no writing. I pointed to Ukraine. He put retary’s plane for his upcoming travel to I speak with in my work ask about that,”
the map away. He said, ‘People will hear Ukraine and several other countries. he said.
about this.’” “We can only conclude that the Roth said he disagreed with Secre-
On Jan. 25, Secretary Pompeo released State Department is retaliating against tary Pompeo’s notion that there had
the following official statement: National Public Radio as a result of this been a “proliferation” of rights in recent
“NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly exchange,” said Shaun Tandon, president times. There have been no new human
lied to me, twice. First, last month, in of the State Department Correspondents’ rights agreements in at least the past 13
setting up our interview and, then again Association. Kelemen “was in rotation as years, he said. Some social movements
yesterday, in agreeing to have our post- the radio pool reporter” for the trip, he are now seeking rights—for example,
interview conversation off the record. It added. LGBTQ advocates seeking economic
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2020 15ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL “I saw early on how robust U.S. support
could make a huge difference on human
rights for women and others,” she said.
R estoring American leadership both at home and around the world
begins with rebuilding the State Department and expanding our
budget for foreign assistance. … Whatever issue we face, whether it’s
But she worries that the consensus
is now “under severe stress.” With the
decrease of U.S. leadership on human
conflict in Syria or Ebola pandemics in Africa or Zika in South America,
rights, America now signals ambiva-
our response is more effective if we use the tools of diplomacy and
lence and worse in its commitment to
work with our allies.
human rights, she said.
In my first one hundred days as president, I will launch an effort to
Some of the most dangerous emerg-
rebuild and restore our diplomatic corps. That begins with immedi-
ing threats come from private actors, she
ately depoliticizing foreign policymaking and ensuring that the State
pointed out, adding that social media’s
Department and international agencies receive sufficient funding.
amplification of the messages of bad
—Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), at an event at the Council on Foreign Relations, actors needs urgent attention.
Dec. 11, 2019.
Ms. Orentlicher encouraged the State
Department to continue promoting
human rights and urged the department
rights in Lebanon—but those are long- like. They’ll be more likely to do that to ensure that all employees are literate
established rights that have been denied if the U.S. is also selective on rights.” on human rights issues.
to these groups, he added. Ms. Orentlicher, who served as She was “cheered” to see Secretary
Picking and choosing human rights deputy for the Office of War Crimes Pompeo’s support for the Universal
gives “a green light” to the enemies of Issues at State from 2009 to 2011, told Declaration of Human Rights, she said,
human rights, Roth said. “The Saudi the commission that the United States adding that it is urgent that the United
Arabias, Chinas and Russias of the world had developed bipartisan consensus States reanimate its commitment to
want to pick and choose the rights they about human rights in the 1980s. the UDHR.
Heard on the Hill
A Bipartisan Effort to but let’s not speak ill of civilians who serve.
Support Diplomacy Let’s not hurl the term “bureaucrat” as a slur.
I n 2017, Senator [Dan] Sullivan [R-Alaska]
and I co-founded the Foreign Service Cau-
cus to support our diplomats, a bipartisan start
Let’s not call people in certain government
agencies “scum.” Let’s disagree with wit-
nesses without questioning their patriotism
toward turning the tide. This week, we have —Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.),
taken additional steps forward with the pas- Senate floor speech, Dec. 18.
sage of paid parental leave for federal employ- Dedicated Patriots
ees, and we will pass a well-deserved pay raise My parents worked for the embassy in New
JOSH
shortly. There is so much more we can do. Delhi when I was born, and I can tell you that
Senators can start right now and take per- the people who serve our nation around the
sonal responsibility for ushering in a new era of respect for world as part of the Foreign Service, our intelligence agen-
all of our public servants. I ask my colleagues on both sides cies and DOD [Department of Defense] are some of the most
of the Capitol to stop the insults, stop the verbal assaults, incredibly dedicated patriots I have ever seen.
and stop questioning the patriotism of these fine Americans. —Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Col.),
We can fight over programs; we can fight over budgets; interview on MSNBC, Jan. 17.
16 MARCH 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALPodcast of the Month: KennanX
K ennanX is a new podcast, put
together by the Kennan Insti-
tute (part of the Woodrow Wilson AFSPA
International Center for Scholars), afspa.org/aip
that is dedicated to educating afspa.org/dental
listeners about Russia, Ukraine and afspa.org/life
the surrounding region. and Russia, with diplomats Rose
The host is Jill Dougherty, who Gottemoeller and John Beyrle.
Chambers Theory
chamberstheory.com
during her three-decade career The Kennan Institute is a U.S.
at CNN served as a foreign affairs center for advanced research on
Clements Worldwide
correspondent covering the State Russia and Eurasia. It is the oldest
clements.com
Department. KennanX has released and largest regional program at
two fascinating podcasts so far. the Woodrow Wilson International
Federal Employees
The first, a discussion of the Center for Scholars. The Institute
Defense Services
Chernobyl nuclear reactor melt- was co-founded in 1974 as a joint fedsprotection.com
down and its legacy, features Craig initiative of Ambassador George F.
Mazin, creator and producer of Kennan, then Wilson Center Director Jack Realty Group
HBO’s Chernobyl; Serhii Plokhii, James Billington and historian jackrealtygroup.com/
director of the Ukraine Research S. Frederick Starr. state.php
Institute at Harvard University; The Wilson Center features
Masha Gessen, staff writer at the several additional podcasts, includ- Property Specialists, Inc.
New Yorker; and Maxim Trudolyubov, ing Need to Know, which shares propertyspecialistsinc.com
senior adviser at the Kennan Insti- nonpartisan foreign policy expertise,
tute and editor-in-chief of the Wilson the Russian History Audio Archive Richey Property
Center’s blog, The Russia File. and Global Women’s Leadership Management
The second is a discussion about Initiative. richeypm.com
arms control and the importance Visit wilsoncenter.org/collection/
of the New START nuclear weapons kennanx-podcast or wilsoncenter.org/ Windecker Financial
treaty between the United States wilson-center-podcasts. Planning
windeckerfp.pro
WJD Management
The 97 Percent: The OIG found that the 16-month hir-
wjdpm.com
OIG Finds Lasting ing freeze implemented by the admin-
Impact of Hiring Freeze istration shortly after President Trump
T he State Department Office of the
Inspector General released a report
on Jan. 22 stating that “staffing gaps,
took office is still affecting department
operations. All 38 bureaus and offices that
responded to an OIG survey, and 97 per-
frequent turnover, poor leadership, and cent of embassies and missions overseas,
inexperienced and undertrained staff fre- reported that the hiring freeze was having
quently contribute to the Department’s a somewhat or major negative impact on
other management challenges,” and that employee morale.
“workforce management issues are per- “Employees told OIG that the hiring
vasive, affecting programs and operations freeze contributed to excessive work-
domestically and overseas.” loads, and the lack of transparency about
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2020 1750 Years Ago
The Dynamics of Growth in Developing Nations
M y conviction in 1966 when I
sponsored the Title IX legislation
of the Foreign Assistance Act was that
or massive effect on the most
impoverished citizens of the
third world.
the interaction between
our external aid and the
dynamics of change and
our foreign aid programs depended The first point can be sub- growth in a developing
too much on a faulty bit of conven- stantiated by comparing the nation. …
tional wisdom; the hypothesis was that amount of our economic aid New nations need
developing nations most urgently need with the Gross National Prod- to develop skills for
economic assistance, which promotes uct in Latin America, where we have self-management if they are to become
a better standard of living, which in expended more than in most sections stable and responsible members of the
turn eases social tension and fosters of the world. The amount of our assis- international community. Yet too much
the growth of democratic institutions. tance has not equaled one and one of our foreign assistance has pro-
The assumption that economic aid half per cent of their GNP. Economic ceeded on the myth that if only we suf-
actually does enhance living conditions transfusions at that rate might keep ficiently bolster the material resources
for the peoples of emerging nations the patient alive, but they can hardly of the emerging nations, they will
is challengeable on two grounds: first, be expected to send him quickly on his discover within themselves the innate
that the total amount of U.S. eco- way to full recovery. … capacity to manage their own affairs.
nomic aid to emerging nations is often Thus Title IX seeks to broaden AID’s —Congressman Donald Fraser
too small to accomplish any general mandate from an unquestioning reli- (D-Minn.), excerpted from his
miracles, and second, that economic ance upon the conventional wisdom to article with the same title in the
assistance seldom has any very direct a more searching, critical appraisal of March 1970 FSJ.
the objectives intended to be achieved by bringing a five-month impeachment pro- shown that we need to fight for our
the hiring freeze caused some to be con- cess to an end. Focusing on foreign policy democracy. ‘Freedom is not free’ is a
cerned about losing their jobs,” according toward Ukraine, the impeachment inquiry pithy phrase that usually refers to the
to the report. put a spotlight on U.S. diplomats. sacrifices of our military against external
In its response, the department Ambassador (ret.) Marie Yovano- threats. It turns out that same slogan can
agreed with the OIG that it is “critically vitch, who became a central figure in the be applied to challenges which are closer
important” to staff at adequate levels and inquiry after she was pulled suddenly to home. We need to stand up for our val-
claimed that the department has made from Ukraine and later called to testify ues, defend our institutions, participate in
progress: “Under Secretary Pompeo’s before the House Intelligence Committee civil society and support a free press.
leadership, currently the department is as a witness, retired from the Foreign Ser- “Every citizen doesn’t need to do
just 1 percent shy of its goal to have over vice in late January after a 34-year career everything, but each one of us can do
13,000 Foreign Service employees by that included three ambassadorships. one thing. And every day, I see American
January 2020, with nearly 12,800 FS staff In a Feb. 6 op-ed in The Washington citizens around me doing just that: reani-
on board as of October 2019.” Post, “These Are Turbulent Times. But We mating the Constitution and the values
Will Prevail,” Amb. Yovanovitch reflected it represents. We do this even when the
Yovanovitch: We Will on her experience: odds seem against us, even when wrong-
Persist and Prevail “It was an honor for me to represent the doers seem to be rewarded, because it is
O n Feb. 5 the U.S. Senate, voting along
partisan lines, acquitted President
Donald J. Trump on two charges—abuse
United States abroad because, like many
immigrants, I have a keen understanding
of what our country represents. …
the right thing to do.” n
This edition of Talking Points was
of power and obstruction of Congress— “Unfortunately, the last year has compiled by Cameron Woodworth.
18 MARCH 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALSPEAKING OUT
Integrity First
BY ALAN LARSON
E
ndemic in many countries,
Our alliances cannot be strong unless other
corruption is a deadly virus that
can infect any nation. Fighting
countries can trust what we say and are confident
corruption abroad and banishing we will honor our commitments.
it from U.S. foreign policy must be core
responsibilities of U.S. diplomats. serves our integrity and allows the U.S. instructed the State Department to negoti-
Revelations of questionable execu- Foreign Service to most effectively serve ate an arrangement in the Organization for
tive branch conduct in U.S. foreign policy the American people. Economic Cooperation and Development.
toward Ukraine led to riveting hearings We need to address corruption in Under the arrangement, governments
at which several members of the Foreign a focused way as a mainstream issue would enact and enforce laws modeled on
Service were called to testify as fact wit- and an area of special skill, like foreign the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to
nesses, under subpoena. They did so with languages and area studies. Today, when dissuade their companies from bribing for-
honor and integrity. democratic institutions are distrusted eign government officials to gain business.
Corruption in foreign policy occurs and under assault around the world, the The U.S. delegation to the OECD
when policymakers betray the trust the Foreign Service should double down on took ownership of the task. Not long
American people place in them to for- nonpartisanship, professionalism, exper- thereafter, in 1990, I became ambassador
mulate and conduct foreign policy in the tise and honesty. to that organization, and the task became
public interest, not their personal or pri- “Integrity First” should be a central my responsibility. It was slow going,
vate interest. The stakes are high, because tenet of U.S. foreign policy initiatives and but we made progress. On returning to
foreign policy involves the security and fundamental to the way foreign policy Washington, I led a dedicated team from
prosperity of every citizen. professionals help formulate and conduct the State, Justice and Commerce depart-
As professionals entrusted with con- foreign policy. ments that persuaded other countries
ducting U.S. foreign policy at a time of to conclude the OECD Anti-Bribery
deep political polarization in the United The Most Unfair Trade Convention in 1997.
States, we can expect that the issue of Practice of All One of our most compelling argu-
corruption in foreign policy will remain Take bribery. In 1988, when I was the ments was that when countries offered
a central theme. The question for career principal deputy assistant secretary in the tax deductions for overseas business
diplomats is how to navigate this period Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, bribes (as several OECD countries did!),
in a way that demonstrates and pre- Congress passed an omnibus trade act that their finance ministers were in the room,
figuratively, when bribes were being paid.
Alan Larson retired from the Foreign Service in 2005 with the rank of Career The OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
Ambassador. He served as under secretary of State for economic, business gradually came to be enforced more
and agricultural affairs; assistant secretary of State for economic and busi- effectively; more countries became signa-
ness affairs; and ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation tories, and it is now an important part of
and Development. Since 2005, he has been senior international policy adviser the international economic architecture.
at Covington and Burling, an international law firm, where he co-leads the Global Problem It not only levels the playing field for U.S.
Solving practice. He is chair of the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Integrity, an anti- workers and companies; it also elevates
corruption NGO, and a director of Helping Children Worldwide, which provides health and standards of conduct in international
education services for vulnerable people in Sierra Leone. trade and investment.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2020 19Career professionals at State need that massive U.S. economic and security of government officials, authoritarian
to give high priority to protecting the assistance programs would be plagued by and communist governments are espe-
FCPA and sustaining and upgrading the corruption. And they were. cially prone to corruption.
OECD Convention. Our government never completely As there is neither transparency nor
resolved the problem of corruption in our mechanisms to ensure accountability of
The “MCC Effect” and assistance programs to those two coun- the powerful to the people, government
Corruption in Security tries. In December 2019 The Washington officials often extort companies and indi-
Assistance Post published articles based on “Les- viduals. Ordinary citizens and companies
Economists—including me—were sons Learned” interviews with a range of that would otherwise shun bribery find
slow to recognize the extent to which cor- senior U.S. government officials involved that it is a survival technique.
ruption impeded economic development in these programs conducted by the In testimony to the Senate on trade
in poorer countries. When the George Office of the Special Inspector General relations with Russia in 2012, I called for
W. Bush administration sought to create for Afghanistan Reconstruction. the United States to pursue a “rule of law
a new foreign assistance institution that The interviews suggest not only for business” agenda alongside normal
would appeal to Republicans as well that reconstruction efforts were deeply trading relations. I suggested a rule-
as Democrats, President Bush insisted thwarted by corruption, but also that of-law triangle focusing on open trade,
on incorporating strong and objective our procurement methods, the massive investment protection and fighting cor-
anticorruption conditionality into the amounts of aid, and intelligence officials’ ruption. Congress embraced this sugges-
admission requirements for what became cash payments to Afghan leaders actually tion and called on the State Department
the Millennium Challenge Corporation. exacerbated and fueled the corruption to report each year on progress achieved.
As a result of the “MCC effect,” poten- already present in Afghan society. It will come as no surprise to Journal
tial recipients of MCC programs became I expect that a similar review of readers that Vladimir Putin and Russia
quite proactive in initiating reforms to our experience in Iraq would produce have been unresponsive, and the depart-
address their perceived weaknesses, broadly similar conclusions. We owe ment so far has had little to report. But
including in curbing corruption. It is the American people a serious effort to as the United States looks to rebuild its
important that the American people, some review and learn from the failures and economic relationship with Russia, we
of whom believe foreign aid budgets are successes of the past 15 years. must insist that a “rule of law for busi-
bigger than they are, have confidence that Our development professionals must ness” agenda form a central part of any
aid is not wasted and foreign assistance rigorously implement anticorruption new economic relationship.
professionals are good stewards of tax dol- provisions in all foreign assistance pro- China is a more complex potential
lars allocated for foreign assistance. grams, and introduce effective programs threat to our system and values because
The MCC was designed to take a to assist countries in curbing corruption. it has developed a strong economy that
long-term and deliberative approach to Interagency discussions should be is deeply intertwined with ours. Formu-
economic assistance, specifying certain held aimed at translating the lessons lating policy toward China wisely and
indicators of good governance, economic learned, especially those about corrup- executing it effectively will be major tasks
freedom and countries’ investments in tion, into workable principles for major for the next generation.
their own people to inform decisions economic reconstruction programs moti- China is not invincible, however, and
about recipients. vated by national security concerns. the leadership of this rising power sees
But such a deliberative approach is official corruption, and the disgust of the
not always possible. For example, the The Challenge of Chinese people toward it, as a vital threat
Bush administration soon confronted China and Russia to the regime. The Chinese people want
the very different challenge of devising Addressing corruption will also fig- more elbow room to exercise political
emergency economic and security assis- ure prominently in foreign policy chal- rights most people take for granted.
tance programs for Afghanistan and Iraq lenges ahead with China and Russia. As we reformulate and refine trade
after military interventions there. Even in Because so many economic decisions policy toward China, we must bring Bei-
those early days, there were indications are centralized and placed in the hands jing into the OECD Anti-Bribery Conven-
20 MARCH 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNALYou can also read
